NEW DELHI: In a bid to protect the rights of children who are abandoned because of the cross-border matrimonial relationships, the 21st Law Commission has recommended a jail term of one year for the parent or close family members who is found guilty of removing his or her child’s custody from the other parent.
Law Commission Chairman Justice B S Chauhan submitted the report on The Protection of Children (Inter-Country Removal and Retention) Bill, 2016 to the Ministry of Law and Justice, which was made public on Tuesday. The commission also mooted for a jail term of three months for those who knowingly misrepresent any kind of information on the location of the child.
The commission worked on the already drafted bill of the Women and Child Development Ministry on the issue. The new bill takes a cue from the law in countries like the UK, where if a child abduction attracts seven years in jail.